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Sean Connery, Alec Baldwin, Scott Glenn, James Earl Jones, Sam Neill ... see more see more... , Joss Ackland , Richard Jordan , Peter Firth , Tim Curry , Courtney B. Vance , Stellan Skarsgård , Jeffrey Jones , Fred Dalton Thompson , Daniel Davis , Tomas Arana , Vlado Benden , Michael George Benko , George H. Billy , Louise Borras , Robert Buckingham , Timothy Carhart , Arthur Cybulski , Anatoly Davydov , Andrew Divoff , Mark Draxton , Rick Ducommun , Tom Fisher , Ivan G'Vera , Radu Gavor , Ronald Guttman , Ben Hartigan , Ivan Ivanov , Denise E. James , Christopher Janczar , Kenton Kovell , Boris Krutonog , Gates McFadden , John McTiernan Sr. , F.J. O'Neil , Sven Ole Thorsen , Anthony Peck , Reed Popovich , Ray Reinhardt , David Sederholm , John Shepherd , Herman Sinitzyn , Don Oscar Smith , William Bell Sullivan , Ned Vaughn , Tony Veneto , Michael Welden , George Winston , Ping Wu , Larry Ferguson , A.C. Lyles , Peter Zinner , Amanda Mackey-Johnson , Pete Antico , Will Lyman

The first of several films based on Tom Clancy's "Jack Ryan" technothrillers, Hunt for Red October stars Alec Baldwin as eccentric CIA analyst Ryan and Sean Connery as Soviet submarine commander Marko... read more read more... Ramius. Ramius sets the plot in motion when he murders his political adviser, burns his orders, and steers his sub Red October towards American waters, hoping to defect. The CIA, aware that the Red October was about to embark on an evasive mission to demonstrate its ability to avoid detection and fire its nuclear missiles upon U.S. installations, believes that Ramius is insane, and that he plans to start World War III. To cover their own behinds, the Russians back up the CIA's suspicion. Only Jack Ryan believes that Ramius' mission is not as apocalyptic as it seems -- and it is Ryan who is assigned to infiltrate the Red October to prove his theory. The sort of film that in an earlier era would have been called a "thinking man's thriller," The Hunt for Red October ushered in a new series of Hollywood-produced post-Cold War adventure films, including 1995's Crimson Tide. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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43 critics

PG, 2 hr. 17 min.

Directed by: John McTiernan, Jonathan Zurer

Release Date: March 2, 1990

Keywords: action, submarine

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DVD Release Date: December 1, 1998

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Stats: 5,477 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (5,477)

  • blkbomb
    September 26, 2011
    blkbomb
    Captain Ramius: You're afraid of our fleet. Well, you should be. Personally, I'd give us one chance in three. More tea anyone? 

    "Invisible. Silent. Stolen."

    The Hunt for Red October is a film that deserves its classification as a thriller. There isn't a lull in the 2 hour plus ... read moreruntime. It's a nonstop thrilling ride beneath the sea. Part of the reason the movie works so well is because of an extraordinary cast of Sean Connery, Alec Baldwin, James Earle Jones, Sam Neill and Tim Curry. There's a bunch of great character actors in there too, that I know by their face, but if asked I couldn't tell you their names. 

    Red October is the name of a Russian sub, which is the command of Captain Ramius. Under his command the sub defects and makes its way towards the United States. The plot has many turns and what you expect isn't always what you get. Sean Connery makes this movie with his terrific veteran presence. Every time I watch a movie with him in it; I am always stunned by how convincing the guy is onscreen. Alec Baldwin isn't one of my favorite actors, but he is pretty good as the hero.

    This is a thriller that doesn't rely to much on action. There are long sequences where the excitement comes from listening to the characters talk instead of watching them run and shoot. Its a smart, well paced, cool film that I liked immensely. I'll take this over Die Hard any day.
  • TheDudeLebowski65
    April 9, 2011
    TheDudeLebowski65
    Based on Tom Clancy's debut novel, The Hunt For Red October. This film is about a new type of Russian typhoon class submarine, being chased across the seas when the crew decides to defect to the Americans. This typhoon class submarine is named the Red October and the Russians ha... read moreve installed a secret propulsion system that could render the sub nearly silent to sonar. The thrills are nonstop, the story is top notch and is guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat. Alec Baldwin and Sean Connery deliver strong performances. The Hunt For Red October is one of the best films adapted from a Tom Clancy novel. This film is brilliant with great directing, pacing and acting. The Hunt For Red October is a different type of submarine film thats very enjoyable, despite the fact it's very different from previous films in the sub genre. This isn't a war film, this is more of a suspense / Thriller film and it delivers on both. For those who have read the book, they will be pleased to know that this film was very well adapted and the filmmakers stayed through enough to the source material. John McTiernan delivers a solid piece of cinema, and The Hunt For Red October is one of his best films since Die Hard. A superbly crafted thriller, The Hunt For Red October is a film that Tom Clancy fans will thoroughly enjoy, and as a person who's read Clancy's book, I can honestly say that the filmmakers did a terrific job at adapting this electrifying story.
  • cancercapricorn2002
    April 7, 2011
    cancercapricorn2002
    "The Hunt for Red October" is the first of three fine submarine thrillers from the 1990s and early 2000s, the others being "Crimson Tide" and "K-19, The Widowmaker". "Crimson Tide" told a wholly fictitious story and "K-19" was an essentially true one. "The Hunt for Red October" f... read morealls somewhere between these two positions, being (like Tom Clancy's novel) very loosely based upon events which took place on board the Soviet warship Storozhevoy (a surface ship, not a submarine) in 1975. The Storozhevoy mutiny was led by a political officer named Valery Sablin, an idealistic Communist who hoped to spark a revolution against the corrupt Brezhnev regime, which he saw as having betrayed the Leninist ideals of 1917.

    The officer at the centre of the film, Captain Marko Ramius, is a very different character with very different motives. Ramius is an ethnic Lithuanian who has been appointed him to command the "Red October", the newest and most advanced nuclear submarine in the Soviet Navy, but has decided to defect to the West, motivated not only by disillusionment with the Communist system but also by fears that his vessel has been designed not as a deterrent but as an aggressive weapon which will allow the Soviet leadership to launch an unprovoked first strike against America. When the Soviet authorities learn of Ramius's intentions, they decide to sink the "Red October" and try to persuade the Americans to assist them in this task by falsely claiming that Ramius is a madman who is planning a strike against the U.S. (A sort of Russian version of Jack D. Ripper in "Dr Strangelove").

    This film was also the one which introduced Clancy's hero Jack Ryan to cinema audiences. (Ryan was later to feature in three more films, "Patriot Games" and "Clear and Present Danger", in which he was played by Harrison Ford, and "The Sum of All Fears", in which he was played by Ben Affleck). Here, Ryan is a CIA analyst whose task it is to brief government officials on the possible threat from the "Red October". He deduces, correctly, that Ramius plans to defect and has to prove his theory before "Red October" is sunk by the U.S. Navy.

    The two main characters are played by two very different actors, but both are very good. Sean Connery might seem an odd choice as Ramius, as he had spent most of his career playing either a Scot or an Englishman. (There had, however, been a few exceptions such as his Irish-American in "The Molly Maguires" and his Arab sheikh in "The Wind and the Lion"). Here he uses his Scottish accent to good advantage, suggesting the ethnic differences between himself and his fellow crewmen. (I doubt if, even in Soviet times, Lithuanians spoke Russian with the same accent as Muscovites). His Ramius is calm and authoritative, but also conceals a streak of ruthlessness; he is prepared to kill the ship's political officer rather than allow him to sabotage his plan. (The political officer is named Putin, a surname which has since taken on overtones it did not have in 1990). Alec Baldwin's Ryan is younger and more mercurial than Ford's interpretation of the character. (I have not yet seen Affleck in "The Sum of All Fears"). There are also contributions from other well-known actors such as Sam Neill as Ramius's second-in-command and James Earl Jones as Admiral Greer, Ryan's superior at the CIA. (Unlike Baldwin, Jones was to play the same role in the next two Jack Ryan films).

    Clancy's novel was first published in 1984 during the brief Andropov/Chernenko era when the Cold War was still at its height. By the time the film came out six years later the world had seen great changes. It was originally intended to set the film in 1990 to make it seem more immediate, but with the fall of the Berlin Wall a few months before the first theatrical release this now seemed inappropriate. A title was therefore inserted at the beginning stating that the events shown take place in 1984.

    Director John McTiernan handles the material well here to produce a gripping, edge-of-the-seat thriller with some particularly tense sequences, notably the one where Ramius has to navigate his vessel through a series of narrow underwater canyons to evade his Soviet pursuers. The tension is no way lessened by the changes in the international political situation which had occurred shortly before the film's release. The Cold War thriller managed to survive the Cold War itself, and "The Hunt for Red October" is one of the most efficient examples of the genre.
  • garyX
    January 16, 2011
    garyX
    When a soviet captain commanding a first strike nuclear submarine decides to defect, CIA analyst Jack Ryan is sent in to prevent catastrophe at the hands of the pursuing Russian forces. Alec Baldwin was always a bit of an also-ran as an action star, but his lone outing as Tom Cla... read morency's Ryan is also easily the best. He is perfect as an academic unwillingly sent out into the field but it is obviously Sean Connery's towering presence that makes the film. The two head a very strong cast in this attempt at cinematic glastnost, as for the first time in a long time the simplistic gung-ho flag waving of the 80s is left behind and the Russians are shown as human beings, not the fanatical warmongers they had been portrayed as in Hollwood movies thus far. John McTiernan also provides some very slick direction making the underwater battles ooze tension and excitement which is no mean feat as by their very nature, submarine dramas can become very stodgy and dull. Well played all round with a great combination of humour, action and cold war conspiracy, The Hunt For Red October is still one of the best submarine films around.
  • FiLmCrAzY
    March 13, 2010
    FiLmCrAzY
    Loved it, i would have like to have seen maye a bit more action but it'll do, it was still amazing!!
    Its a tense thriller and i loved it , its thrilling, exciting, and really just a good storyline that you begin to feel for Ramius (connery)

    thiis movie is about a submarine c... read morealled the red octoberr a highly skilled submarine built by the russian for stealth which means it is completely quiet and could course a lot of destruction!
    So its a hunt by the russian and the americans to get this sub!
    but there is problems happening within the sub a sabatager , who will win?

    a really good intense submarine thriller with great cast and great acting with sam neill looking gorgeous as usual really worth a watch!
  • ironclad1609
    February 8, 2010
    ironclad1609
    The first Tom Clancy adaption with his Jack Ryan character shows Alec Baldwin in the lead role, as a Dr. Ryan who is not as bad ass as Harrison Ford's a few years later. As CIA expert who is trying to solve the riddle of a Russian atom submarine approaching the US waters he is st... read moreill a decent choice. The rest of the cast is just as excellent down to the smallest roles. The direction by action expert McTiernan has not as much explosions and action sequences to work with as he may have been used to from the Die Hard films, but that doesn't stop him from turning up the excitement level with every passing minute. The story is thrilling and although it is a relic of the cold war still greatly entertaining.
  • ScoopOnline
    February 4, 2010
    ScoopOnline
    Great Movie based upon Tom Clancy Novel. Polit-Thriller are something I watch with a tiny bit scepism but this movie was very entertaining. Trouble is Polit-Thriller are often very near to the reality.
  • SirPant
    September 29, 2009
    SirPant
    I love the way Sean Connery goes from Russian to Scottish in a zoom in, it?s a classic movie moment! It?s an ok film but nothing special!
  • hellogoodby
    September 25, 2009
    hellogoodby
    I must say, sub movies make me go to sleep. I had to watch 'Run Silent, Run Deep' 5 times before I lasted long enough to see the end. But 'The Hunt for Red October' proved to me that a good sub film is possible! The music is flowing and sets the seen beautifully. A perfect cast w... read moreith stars such as Alec Baldwin and Sean Connery adds to this Tom Clancy classic. In this case, the film is better then the book! Full of suspense, action, mystery, and the perfect ending. This is a great film, as simple as that.
  • stormyweather980
    September 14, 2009
    stormyweather980
    Most classic thing to me about this movie is the box art. As for the movie, I like "Crimson Tide" and "U-571" much better.

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Critic Reviews

Roger Ebert
January 1, 2000
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

A skillful, efficient film. Full Review

Hal Hinson
January 1, 2000
Hal Hinson, Washington Post

A leviathan bore, big, clunky and ponderously overplotted. Full Review

Desson Thomson
January 1, 2000
Desson Thomson, Washington Post

A Reagan youth's wet dream of underwater ballistics and East-West conflict. Full Review

Rory L. Aronsky
May 13, 2009
Rory L. Aronsky, Screen It!

It is a thriller in some sequences, action in others, but it depends on personal taste, how many thrills you believe a movie should have in order to be considered a thriller Full Review

Peter Canavese
August 6, 2008
Peter Canavese, Groucho Reviews

As for the film's suspense credentials, you know it's time to get tense when James Earl Jones intones, 'Mother of God.' [Blu-Ray] Full Review

Widgett Walls
September 15, 2005
Widgett Walls, Needcoffee.com

The Soviet captain has a brogue. I'm okay with it. Sue me.

Kevin A. Ranson
June 13, 2005
Kevin A. Ranson, MovieCrypt.com

For all its flaws, it still holds water.

Steve Crum
October 19, 2004
Steve Crum, Kansas City Kansan

Exciting submarine adventure w/Connery, Baldwin

Ken Hanke
May 23, 2004
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

Regressive old-fashioned thriller of a sort that mostly died out 20 years earlier.

Dennis Schwartz
January 15, 2004
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews

Delivers its share of honest to goodness thrills. Full Review

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Facts

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    • Bill Steiner: Your sub captain's going to make to America Mr. Ryan. And he's going to die within sight of it.
    • Capt. Bart Mancuso: All back full.
    • Lt. Comdr. Thompson: Captain...
    • Capt. Bart Mancuso: I said, all back full!
    • Lt. Comdr. Thompson: Back full, aye.
    • Seaman Jones: [the Dallas reverses, churning the water] Captain, we're cavitating, he can hear us!
    • Capt. Bart Mancuso: Conn, aye. All right, Ryan, we just unzipped our fly. Mr. Thompson! Open the outer doors, firing point procedures. Now if that bastard so much as twitches, I'm going to blow him straight to Mars.
    • Admiral James Greer: Now, understand, Commander, that torpedo did not self-destruct. You heard it hit the hull. And I... [showing him his identification] ... was never here.
    • Admiral James Greer: Mother of God!
    • Capt. Marko Ramius: Hey, Ryan, be careful what you shoot at. Most things in here don't react too well to bullets.
    • Capt. Marko Ramius: I'm reminded of the heady days of Sputnik and Yuri Gagarin when the world trembled at the sound of our rockets. They will tremble again at the sound of our silence. The order is engage the silent drive.
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The Hunt for Red October Trivia

  • What colour can go in each of the blanks to complete the titles of 3 movies? 1. The Hunt for _______ October 2. _______ Sonja 3. Woman In _______  Answer »
  • This movie, inspired by a Tom Clancy novel, was released in 1990. It was directed by John McTiernan, and starred Alec Baldwin, Sean Connery, and Scott Glenn to name a few. The title implied that they were hunting for a colored month.  Answer »
  • Of the 4 movies based on books by Tom Clancy, name the movie that casts Alec Baldwin as the first to play 'Jack Ryan'.  Answer »
  • In what movie does Sean Connery play the part of Russian submarine commander Marko Ramius?  Answer »
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